External type filtration device

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an improvement in filtering apparatus including a filter device externally hitched on a wall surface of a aquarium for breeding aquarium fishes. In the outside-type filtering apparatus including a filter device (F) and detachably supported in an externally hitched manner on a wall surface of a aquarium (V), and a water pump (P) for pumping water stored in the aquarium (V), the filter device (F) is formed so that the water pumped from the water pump (P) is divided into a first flow which is returned into the aquarium (V) as remaining unfiltered, and a second flow which is filtered through a filter element and then returned into the aquarium (V) in dependence on a siphon effect. Thus, it is possible to enhance the filtering action provided by the filter element of the filter device and the organically purifying function provided by aerobic microorganisms, and to suppress the clogging of the filter element to reduce the maintenance frequency of the filter element.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an outside-type filteringapparatus including a filter device externally hitched on a wall surfaceof an aquarium or water tank for breeding goldfishes, tropical fishes,saltwater fishes and the like, so that water within the aquarium iscirculated and filtered.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] In general, there is a known outside-type filtering apparatus forfiltering water in a aquarium to purify it in order to breed and rearaquarium fishes such as goldfishes, tropical fishes and the like in theaquarium, which includes a filter device which is externally hitched andsupported on a wall surface of the aquarium, and a water pump which isconnected to the filter device, so that water in the aquarium isforcibly circulated through the filter device where it is filtered, andthe filtered water is returned into the aquarium (for example, see thespecification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,885).

[0003] It should be noted here that in such outside-type filteringapparatus, the filter device which is a main member of the apparatus canbe mounted outside the aquarium. Therefore, the outside-type filteringapparatus is generally and widely utilized, because there are advantagesthat the filtering apparatus cannot reduce an effective volume withinthe aquarium and moreover, cannot deteriorate the sight within theaquarium, and that the maintenance such as the exchange of parts of thefiltering apparatus and the cleaning of the filtering apparatus is easy.

[0004] In the conventionally known outside-type filtering apparatus,however, the water pumped into the aquarium by the water pump ispressurized and fed into the filter device by the water pump, and thetotal amount of the water is passed through the filter element forfiltration.

[0005] In the conventional filtering apparatus, however, because thepressurized water from the water pump is passed, as it is, through thefilter element, whereby it is filtered, the following disadvantage isencountered: The water is difficult to flow equally over the entireregion of the filter element (the water flows partially relative to thefiltering surface), thereby bringing about a reduction in filteringefficiency and further causing the partial clogging of the filterelement. Such disadvantage tends to be increased, as the filtering areaof the filter element is increased.

[0006] Because the total amount of the pressurized water from the waterpump is passed through the filter element, the following problem is alsoencountered: The flow speed of the water flowing through the filterelement is too rapid, which is inappropriate for propagation of aerobicmicroorganisms required for the purification of the water in the filterelement, thereby bringing about a further reduction in filteringefficiency in cooperation with the above-described disadvantage andproblem to hasten the and exchange and maintenance frequencies for thefilter element.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide anew outside-type filtering apparatus, wherein water to be passed throughthe filter element for filtration by a water sucking effect bydepressurizing the inside of a filter case based on a siphon effectcauses, so that the water flows equally over the entire region of thefilter element, whereby the filtering efficiency is enhanced remarkablyand moreover, the partial clogging of the filter element can beprevented to reduce the maintenance frequency for the filteringapparatus more remarkably than the conventional filtering apparatus.

[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a newoutside-type filtering apparatus, wherein the filter element is pressedfor the propagation of aerobic microorganisms required for thepurification of water, and the filtering and purifying efficiency of thewater can be further enhanced by the water filtering action in thefilter element and the organically purification of the water by theaerobic microorganisms.

[0009] To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect andfeature of the present invention, there is provided an outside-typefiltering apparatus, comprising a filter device detachably supported inan externally hitched manner on a wall surface of a aquarium, and awater pump for pumping water stored in the aquarium into the filterdevice, the filter device being formed, so that the water pumped fromthe water pump is stored in the filter device, and the stored water isfiltered through a filter element by the depressurization of the insideof a filtering chamber caused by a siphon effect, and the filtered wateris then returned into the aquarium. With such feature, the water ispassed through the filter element for filtration by the water suckingeffect by depressurizing the inside of the filter case based on thesiphon effect, so that the water flows equally over the entire region ofthe filter element. Thus, it is possible to enhance the filteringefficiency remarkably and moreover, to prevent the partial clogging ofthe filter element to reduce the maintenance frequency for the filteringapparatus more remarkably than the conventional filtering apparatus.

[0010] To achieve the above object, according to a second aspect andfeature of the present invention, there is provided an outside-typefiltering apparatus, comprising a filter device detachably supported inan externally hitched manner on a wall surface of a aquarium, and awater pump for pumping water stored in the aquarium into the filterdevice, the filter device being formed, so that the water pumped fromthe water pump is stored in the filter device, and the stored water isdivided into a first flow which is returned into the aquarium asremaining unfiltered, and a second flow which is filtered through afilter element by the depressurization of a filtering chamber by asiphon effect and then returned into the aquarium. With such feature,the unfiltered water can be allowed to flow over the entire region ofthe filter element with its flow speed suppressed and moreover, thewater sucked by the siphon effect can be passed through the filterelement, whereby it can be filtered by sucking. As a result, the waterfiltering efficiency can be enhanced remarkably, and moreover, thepropagation of aerobic microorganisms in the filter element can bepromoted, leading to a remarkable enhancement in water filtering andpurifying efficiency.

[0011] Further, to achieve the above object, according to a third aspectand feature of the present invention, the filter device includes afilter case, which is provided, in an inside thereof, with a waterstorage chamber in which water pumped by the water pump is stored, afiltering chamber which is formed so that water overflowing from thewater storage chamber is received therein, and a portion of the receivedwater is permitted to overflow and returned into the aquarium asremaining unfiltered, and the remaining water is filtered through thefilter element, and a drain pipe for dropping the filtered remainingwater into the aquarium by sucking by the siphon effect. With suchfeature, the same effect as in the second feature can be provided andmoreover, it is possible to simplify the structure of the filter deviceand to provide the compactness of such structure.

[0012] Yet further, to achieve the above object, according to a fourthaspect and feature of the present invention, a purifying agent such asactivated carbon is provided in the filter case for purifying the waterreceived in the filter case. With such feature, the same effect as inthe first, second or third feature can be provided and moreover, thepurification of the water by the purifying agent can be also used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIGS. 1 to 8 show a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a filtering apparatus set in aaquarium;

[0015]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the filtering apparatus;

[0016]FIG. 3 is a front view of the filtering apparatus, taken in thedirection of an arrow 3 in FIG. 1;

[0017]FIG. 4 is a plan view of the filtering apparatus, taken in thedirection of an arrow 4 in FIG. 3;

[0018]FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along a line 5-5 in FIG. 4;

[0019]FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along a line 6-6 in FIG. 3;

[0020]FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along a line 7-7 in FIG. 3; and

[0021]FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along a line 8-8 in FIG. 3.

[0022] FIGS. 9 to 12 show a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0023]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a filtering apparatus set in aaquarium;

[0024]FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the filteringapparatus;

[0025]FIG. 11 is a front view of the filtering apparatus, taken in thedirection of an arrow 11 in FIG. 9; and

[0026]FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along a line 12-12 in FIG. 11.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0027] The mode for carrying out the present invention will now bedescribed by way of embodiments of the present invention shown in theaccompanying drawings.

[0028] A first embodiment of the present invention will first bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an outside-type filtering apparatusaccording to the present embodiment is of a type externally hitched on aaquarium V and is comprised of a filter device F externally hitched on awall surface of the aquarium V, and a water pump P for circulating waterin the aquarium V into the filter device F.

[0030] The filter device F includes a filter case 1, and a filterelement unit 2 and a drain pipe 3, which are detachably mounted to thefilter case 1. The filter case 1 is formed of a transparent hardsynthetic resin material. The filter case 1 is formed into a flatbox-shape with an access port 5 opened in an upper surface, and adownward-turned hook-shaped hitch portion 6 is integrally formed on afront surface of the filter case 1 over the entire width thereof. Asshown in FIG. 1, the hitch portion 6 is formed so that it can bedetachably hitched on an upper edge of the aquarium V. As shown in FIGS.4 and 5, a vertical partition wall 7 is fixed in the filter case 1 andoffset to one side (to a right side in FIGS. 4 and 5) in a laterallywidthwise direction to partition the inside of the filter case 1laterally. A rectangular tubular water storage chamber 8 is defined onwidthwise one side of the filter case 1 by the partition wall 7, and afiltering chamber 10 having a volume larger than that of the waterstorage chamber 8 is defined on the other side by the partition wall 7.A flow-in port 9 is opened in an upper portion of the partition wall 7,so that water stored in the water storage chamber 8 can flow through theflow-in port 9 into the filtering chamber 10.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, an outlet 31 of a water-feed pipe 30extending from the water pump P, which will be described hereinafter,faces to an upper portion of the inside of the water storage chamber 8,so that unpurified water pumped into the aquarium V by the water pump Pcan be stored in the water storage chamber 8.

[0032] As clearly shown in FIG. 2, the filter element unit 2 and thedrain pipe 3 can be withdrawably and individually mounted in parallel toeach other in the filtering chamber 10 from an opening in an upperportion of the filtering chamber 10. A skirt-shaped water-flow wall 12is integrally formed on a front surface of the filtering chamber 10 inthe filter case 1 between one (a partition wall) 3 a of sidewalls of thedrain pipe 3 and the partition wall 7. The water-flow wall 12 is of acurved shape in longitudinal section convex outwards, as shown in FIG.7, and a substantially horizontal overflow wall 13 is formed at an upperedge of the water-flow wall 12, so that the water overflowing from thefiltering chamber 10 flows over the overflow wall 13 and downwards alongthe water-flow wall 12 back into the aquarium V.

[0033] The filter element unit 2 withdrawably mounted in the filteringchamber 10 comprises a filter element 15 formed flatly in a longitudinaldirection into a U-shape in longitudinal section gradually convergentdownwards, and a ceiling plate 16 fixed to an open upper surface of thefilter element 15. An inlet 17 is opened in the ceiling plate 16 tocommunicate with the inside of the filter element 15, and a guide wall16 a is integrally provided to rise on a rear edge of the ceiling plate16. The element unit 2 can be withdrawably mounted in the filteringchamber 10 from its open upper surface by grasping the guide wall 16 a.The filter element 15 of the filter element unit 2 is formed by bendinga filter plate of a porous synthetic resin into a U-shape, and dividesthe inside of the filtering chamber 10 into an inner unpurified waterchamber 18 and an outer purified-water chamber 19 (see FIG. 7). A recess20 is defined centrally in an upper portion of a rear wall of the filtercase 1 to facilitate the inserting/withdrawing operation for the filterelement unit 2, so that the guide wall 16 a is easily held by fingers(see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0034] The drain pipe 3 withdrawably mounted on laterally one side (aleft side in FIGS. 1 and 2) in the filter case 1 is formed into arectangular tubular shape gradually convergent downwards, and thesidewall 3 a of the drain pipe 3 adjoining the element unit 2 forms apartition wall which isolates the filtering chamber 10 and the drainpipe 3 in a water-tight manner. An inlet 22 is opened in a lower portionof the sidewall (partition wall) 3 a of the drain pipe 3, so that theinside of the drain pipe 3 is put into communication with thepurified-water chamber 19 through the inlet 22. The drain pipe 3 has anose portion 23 integrally formed at its upper portion to extend alongthe water-flow wall 12 of the filter case 1, and a drain port 24 isopened in a downward facing manner in a lower end of the nose portion23. Thus, the water purified by filtering in the filtering chamber 10 isdischarged through the inlet 22 into the drain pipe 3 and returnedthrough the drain port 24 into the aquarium V.

[0035] The nose portion 23 of the drain pipe 3 extends vertically, and apredetermined distance is provided vertically between an upper wall 3 bof the drain pipe 3 and the drain port 24. When the filter device F isexternally hitched on the aquarium V, a head H is defined between theupper wall 3 b of the drain pipe 3 and the drain port 24, as shown inFIGS. 6 to 8, so that the purified water in the filter device F isreturned into the aquarium V by a siphon effect provided by the head H.

[0036] As shown by a two-dot dashed line in FIGS. 5 and 7, an activatedcarbon pack 26 having activated carbon accommodated as a purifying agenttherein is contained as required in the filter element unit 2 in thefilter device F, i.e., in the unpurified water chamber 18. An upperportion of the activated carbon pack 26 is higher in level than theoverflow wall 13 of the filter case 1, so that the unpurified wateroverflowing over the overflow wall 13 can be forcibly passed through theinside of the activated carbon pack 26.

[0037] The water pump P is used to pump the water in the aquarium V intothe water storage chamber 8 in the filter device F, and has a pumpdevice 28 which is provided at its lower portion with a suction port inwhich a strainer 29 is mounted, and at its upper portion with adischarge port. The water pump P is used in a state that it has beenimmersed in the water in the aquarium V. An inlet in a lower end of thewater-feed pipe 30 is connected to the discharge port in the pump device28. The water-feed pipe 30 extends upwards in the aquarium V with itsupper portion curved, so that an outlet 31 in its upper end faces to anupper portion of the water storage chamber 8 in the filter device F.Therefore, the operation of the water pump P causes the unpurified waterin the aquarium V to be pumped through the water-feed pipe 30 into thewater storage chamber 8 and stored therein.

[0038] In Figures, reference character 32 is pebbles acquired in Oiso orthe like and laid on a bottom in the aquarium V.

[0039] The operation of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 willbe described below.

[0040] In using the filtering apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, the filterdevice F including the filter element unit 2 and the drain pipe 3withdrawably mounted in the filter case 1 is externally hitched on thewall surface of the aquarium V, and the water pump P is placed in theaquarium V in the state in which it has been immersed in the water.

[0041] When the water pump P is now operated, the unpurified water inthe aquarium V is pumped by the water pump P to flow through thewater-feed pipe 30 into the water storage chamber 8 provided on the oneside of the filter device F, as shown by an arrow a in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0042] The water entering into the water storage chamber 8 is beingaccumulated in the chamber 8, while gradually raising the water level,and the water at a higher water level overflows over the flow-in port 9in the upper edge of the partition wall, as shown by an arrow b in FIG.5 and flows into the filtering chamber 10 defined in the central portionof the filter case 1. The water flowing into the filtering chamber 10 isdivided into

[0043] (1) water of a first flow which will overflow over the overflowwall 13, as it is, without being passed through the filter element,i.e., without being filtered, and will flow along the water-flow wall 12back into the aquarium V, as shown by d in FIG. 7, and

[0044] (2) water of a second flow which will be passed from theunpurified water chamber through the filter element unit 2 where it willbe filtered, and then flow into the purified water chamber 19 and flowdownwards within the chamber 19 and through the inlet 22 into the drainpipe 3, by undergoing suction due to the siphon effect caused by thehead H, through the inlet 22 of the drain pipe 3, as shown by an arrow cin FIGS. 5 and 7.

[0045] The purified water of the second flow entering into the drainpipe 3 in the item (2) is returned into the aquarium V by the siphoneffect provided by the head H at the nose portion 23, as shown by anarrow d in FIG. 8. On the other hand, the water of the first flowoverflowing over the overflow wall 13 from the filtering chamber 10 inthe item (1) is returned along the water-flow wall 12 directly into theaquarium V without being filtered, as shown by e in FIG. 7. Therefore, aportion (the water of the second flow) of the water flowing from thewater storage chamber 8 into the filtering chamber 10 is passed throughthe filter element 15 where it is filtered, and the remainder (the waterof the first flow) is returned into the aquarium V without being passedthrough the filter element 15. Moreover, the water passed through thefilter element 15 has a flow resistance larger than that of the waternot passed through the filter element 15 and hence, the flow rate andflow speed of the water passed through the filter element 15 aresuppressed. As a result, the clogging of the filter element is reduced,and the propagation of aerobic microorganisms in the filter element 15is promoted, whereby both of the water filtering effect provided in thefilter element 15 and the organically water-purifying effect provided bythe aerobic microorganisms can be enhanced.

[0046] In the first embodiment, rather than that pressurized waterdischarged from the water pump P is supplied directly to the filterelement 15 to flow therethrough as in such a type of a conventionalfiltering apparatus (the water pump P is used only to pump water in theaquarium V into the water storage chamber 8), the water overflowing fromthe water storage chamber 8 and resident in the filtering chamber 10 issucked through the inlet 22 by depressurizing the filtering chamber 10by the siphon effect provided by the nose portion 23 of the drain pipe3, and the sucked water is passed through the filter element 15 where itis filtered. Therefore, the water having a lower flow speed can besupplied equally all over the entire filtering surface of the filterelement 15. This also can prevent the partial clogging of the filterelement 15 and contribute largely to the promotion of the propagation ofthe aerobic microorganisms.

[0047] If the activated carbon pack is accommodated in the filteringchamber 10, as shown by a two-dot dashed line in FIGS. 5 and 7, thewater flowing into the filtering chamber 10 can be purified by theactivated carbon. In this case, the water (the water of the first flow)returned, as it is, to the aquarium without being filtered can be alsopurified by the activated carbon in addition to the water (the water ofthe second flow) passed through the filter element 15.

[0048] A second embodiment of the present invention will be describedbelow with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12.

[0049] In the second embodiment, an activated carbon cassette 40 isdetachably mounted in the filter case 1 provided in the firstembodiment, and the same portions or components as in the firstembodiment are designated by like reference characters.

[0050] The activated carbon cassette 40 is detachably supported on anoverflow wall 13 above a filtering chamber 10 in the filter case 1between a partition wall 7 partitioning the filtering chamber 10 and awater storage chamber 8 from each other and a sidewall (partition wall)3 a of a drain pipe 3. The activated carbon cassette 40 is comprised ofa cassette case 43 comprising net plates 42 set on front, rear, upperand lower open faces of an elongated rectangular parallelepiped frame41, and activated carbon filled in the cassette case 43. A stopper piece44 is fixed to a side of the overflow wall 13, and the activated carboncassette 40 on the overflow wall 13 is locked onto the overflow wall 13by the stopper piece 44.

[0051] Therefore, according to the second embodiment, water overflowingover the overflow wall 13 in the filtering chamber 10 is passed throughall over the inside of the activated carbon in the activated carboncassette 40, whereby it is purified sufficiently and then returned tothe aquarium V along a water-flow wall 12.

[0052] Thus, even the filtering apparatus according to the secondembodiment provides the same function as in the first embodiment. Morespecifically, water flowing into the filtering chamber 10 is dividedinto water (water of a second flow) which will be passed through thefilter element where it will be filtered, and water (water of a firstflow) which will not be filtered, and these water flows are thenreturned into the aquarium V. The water which will be filtered is passedthrough the filter element unit 2 by a siphon effect provided by a headH defined at a nose portion 23 of the drain pipe 3, whereby it isfiltered.

[0053] Although the embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed, it will be understood that the present invention is notlimited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications indesign may be made within the scope of the present invention defined inclaims.

[0054] For example, another purifying agent such as meifan-shi (

; trademark) may be used in place of the activated carbon used in eachof the embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. An outside-type filtering apparatus, comprising afilter device (F) detachably supported in an externally hitched manneron a wall surface of a aquarium (V), and a water pump (P) for pumpingwater stored in the aquarium (V) into said filter device (F), saidfilter device (F) being formed so that the water pumped from said waterpump (P) is stored in said filter device (F), and the stored water isfiltered through a filter element (15) by the depressurization of theinside of a filtering chamber (10) caused by a siphon effect, and thefiltered water is then returned into the aquarium (V).
 2. Anoutside-type filtering apparatus, comprising a filter device (F)detachably supported in an externally hitched manner on a wall surfaceof a aquarium (V), and a water pump (P) for pumping water stored in theaquarium (V) into said filter device (F), said filter device (F) beingformed so that the water pumped from said water pump (P) is stored insaid filter device (F), and the stored water is divided into a firstflow which is returned into the aquarium (V) as remaining unfiltered,and a second flow which is filtered through a filter element (15) by thedepressurization of a filtering chamber (10) by a siphon effect and thenreturned into the aquarium (V).
 3. An outside-type filtering apparatusaccording to claim 2, wherein said filter device (F) includes a filtercase (1), which is provided, in an inside thereof, with a water storagechamber (8) in which water pumped by said water pump (P) is stored, thefiltering chamber (10) which is formed so that water overflowing fromsaid water storage chamber (8) is received therein, and a portion of thereceived water is permitted to overflow and returned into the aquarium(V) as remaining unfiltered, and the remaining water is filtered throughsaid filter element (15), and a drain pipe (3) for dropping the filteredremaining water into the aquarium (V) by sucking by the siphon effect.4. An outside-type filtering apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3,wherein a purifying agent such as activated carbon is provided in saidfilter case (1) for purifying the water received in said filter case(1).